Hey, Alexa! This Interactive Play Kitchen Is Nicer Than My Real One, So There's That

I haven’t met a kid who doesn’t love toy kitchens and supermarkets, and these classic favorites are getting the ultimate upgrade. Later this year, KidCraft is introducing the first Alexa-powered toy kitchen. This modern wooden play set combines the traditional imaginative playscape of a toy kitchen and supermarket with Alexa interactive technology.

The Alexa 2-in-1 Kitchen and Market comes complete with a supermarket on the other side, so not only can kids shop for their groceries and “meal plan,” but they also prepare said meals with the help of Alexa, the cloud-based voice service from Amazon.

All you have to do, according to CNET, to get Alexa set up for this play set is to use your Amazon Echo speaker, open your Amazon app, and add the new KidKraft skill to Alexa. Then, place the Echo in the middle of the play set. In Amazon's promotional video for the set it looks like your kid just has to say, “Hey, Alexa. Want to play?” Alexa responds, “Let’s get cookin’.”

From there, Alexa will interact with your child based on what they say by providing recipes and other "educational anecdotes." Don't worry though — the mic is not always active and only responds to questions based on the child's interactions with the toys in the set, according to reports by CNET. So no, your kids can't use Alexa to treat themselves to $400 of toys from Amazon on your dime.

Alexa also provides the name and cost of the scanned items via an interactive scanner and register complete with all the beeps and sounds. Additionally, there are more than 700 voice commands total for play in both the supermarket side and the kitchen side.

However, even without Alexa, the play set itself makes the noises of boiling water, running water, and more — which is good news for homes like ours that don't have virtual assistant speakers and technology. But if your kids want the full interactive experience, they'll have to have Alexa set up to play.

And play they will. From the photos provided by KidKraft, it seems like the refrigerator on this toy is nicer than my real refrigerator at home, y’all. It’s one of those fancy ones with the touch screen that has the weather, lists, and music. There’s a stovetop, sink, oven, and microwave included along with the other 100 interactive play pieces — which are all RFID smart-chipped and come to life during play, according to KidKraft. Kids can make a grocery list or recipe checklist on the chalkboard that hangs from the top, and of course there are utensils and other cooking supplies included. In no time, the children will be ready to do all the real grocery planning, shopping, and cooking while the adults sit back and wait for our three-course meals. That's the goal, right?

The Alexa 2-in-1 Kitchen and Market will run $300 and be available later this year exclusively at Amazon.com.